College Football: NIU Huskies show growth in spring game

Saturday

Apr 11, 2015 at 8:35 PMApr 11, 2015 at 8:36 PM

DEKALB -- The Northern Illinois Huskies went through another spring game with erratic quarterback play, but they left their coach Rod Carey smiling.

"I did, I saw progress, and we got a lot of good things done -- this time around," Carey said with a grin after the Black squad pulled off a 21-0 win over the Cardinal team in the annual Huskie Bowl on Saturday. "Last year we got banged up, we had a lot of problems, and this was just a better feel."

Carey was not smiling a year ago when the team broke spring camp with a lot of questions -- including who would be the starting quarterback. Drew Hare took over that position midway through last year and went on to earn Mid-American Conference championship game MVP honors while becoming the leader.

On Saturday, with Hare entrenched as the starter, it was the defense that stole the show. Sophomore cornerback Shawun Lurry gave the Black team an early 7-0 lead after he intercepted Ryan Graham on the team’s first series and returned it 35 yards for a TD. Defensive end Perez Ford later turned in a tackle for loss, sending his own helmet bounding down the field, and leading the Black defense through a stifling performance. Graham and Matt McIntosh -- one of the quarterbacks beaten out by Hare midway through the season last year -- combined to go 7-for-15 for 49 yards with no touchdowns and a pick.

"It was tough for anyone to get into an offensive rhythm today; the defense was tough," said Hare, who was 6-for-9 for 57 yards in the scrimmage game. "We've all got a lot of work still to do. We're not where we need to be. But this, this whole spring, it felt pretty good."

On the last drive of the scrimmage, during which each team had nine possessions, Anthony Maddie hit sophomore Christian Blake from 15 yards out for the final score. Blake (37 yards) joined Cardinal receiver Kenny Golladay (36) with four catches apiece while junior Aregeros Turner led all receivers with seven catches for 61 yards and had four carries for 26 yards. Draco Smith, who scored the game's second TD from 16 yards out, led all rushers with eight carries for 38 yards.

Bad finishes still sting

NIU is coming off an 11-3 season in which it won its third Mid-American Conference title in four years, and slid in as the winningest program in Illinois, and in the MAC, in the past decade.

The Huskies made a MAC-record seventh straight bowl appearance, too, but it all ended on a sour note as they fell 52-23 to Marshall on Dec. 23. That snapped a seven-game winning streak, and forced the Huskies to think about another record-setting season that did not end the way they wanted.

The year before, NIU hit the MAC title game at 13-0 and ranked in the Top 25 in both national polls. But the Huskies dropped their last two games then.

Those memories are still etched in their minds.

"Anytime you lose three straight bowl games, it doesn't sit well, for anybody," Carey said. "They think about; they talk about. But it doesn't define us. ... We want to show we can finish better than that."

Starting QB is Hare

Although both coach and QB admitted it was not a great spring for any of the quarterbacks, at least the team breaks off for the summer knowing who its starting quarterback is.

"It's a lot different just knowing. I've finally settled into the role," Hare said after the scrimmage Saturday. "It's good to not be looking over my shoulder all the time, and I really think I can focus on some things that I need to focus on this time. I'm still hungry, though."

Beebe's back

Wide receiver Chad Beebe, who returned after missing the bowl game defeat to Marshall with a broken arm, had one catch for one yard and one rush for six yards in the game. However, he also had a bad drop across the middle of the field midway through the day, prompting a hush across the eighth-filled stadium, followed by a burn. The PA announcer broke the silence by saying: "Beebe, your dad is not going to be appreciative of that drop."

Beebe, the son of former NFL star wideout Don Beebe, accumulated 21 catches for 219 yards with a touchdown in 12 games before he broke his left forearm on an early-game punt return during the MAC championship game. He's back this season to try and help the Huskies get back on top.

"This was my first chance to free myself up, and it felt good," Beebe said. "I'm still working to get my strength back, and it's never fun to sit out, any amount of time. But I'm telling you, I'm so ready and so anxious to get out there and show my stuff now -- it's a new kind of motivation."

Turner, the team's leading returning wideout (with 37 catches, 398 yards and two TDs), also had a drop across the middle Saturday.

Smaha makes some plays

Former Belvidere North star Austin Smaha made some plays as he tries to solidify his spot at defensive end, finishing up the scrimmage with two tackles. Smaha, a 6-foot-1, 224-pound junior, rotated in with the starters at defensive end last year, played in 13 of the team's 14 games, making nine tackles but finishing without a sack, a tackle for loss or any turnover play.

He plans on having more of an impact this season.

"Most definitely, that's what it's all about for me this year, making a difference," Smaha said. "It's like I went back to school the past year, and learned a heck of a lot. This year, I can't make any mistakes. This year it's about stepping up."

Smaha wasn't the only former area high schooler to make an impact for NIU on Saturday. Former Harlem running back Dwayne Milton played for the Cardinal squad and had 11 rushes for 29 yards.

Injuries avoided

A coaches' worst enemy at any college football spring game is injuries, and NIU appears to have avoided any serious ones this entire spring. While wide receiver Malik Mitchell was helped off the field with a lower-leg injury midway through the day, and wideout Juwan Brescacin and running back Joel Bouagnon each had minor knee surgeries this spring, they are all expected back to full strength by the time the team returns to practice in August.

"Hey, if nothing else," Carey added, with one more smile, "at least we came out healthy."

Jay Taft: 815-987-1384; jtaft@rrstar.com; @JayTaft

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